Exercise device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for exercising may include a gripping assembly having a grip fixed to at least one spring member and at least one tether connected to the at least one spring member. The tether winds around the longitudinal axis of the at least one spring member. Also, an object may be connected to the tether. In some embodiments, the object may be a weight, an anchor, or a second gripping assembly. Alternatively, the apparatus may include a gripping assembly having at least one spring member connected to a tether and a grip connected to the tether. A free standing object may be connected to the tether. Methods according to the present disclosure use the apparatus by applying a force to the grip(s).

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a devices and methods for strengthening and conditioning muscles.

2. The Related Art

Traditional devices used for strengthening and conditioning muscles tend to be bulky and sometimes apply an irregular resistive force during a given exercise movement. Moreover, the moving components may brush or otherwise cause undesirable contact with the user during use.

The present disclosure addresses these and other drawbacks of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for exercising. The apparatus may include a gripping assembly. The gripping assembly may have at least one spring member, and a grip fixed to the at least one spring member. The apparatus may also include at least one tether connected to the at least one spring member. The tether winds around the longitudinal axis of the at least one spring member. Also, an object may be connected to the tether. The tether unspools out of the gripping assembly as the distance separating the object and the gripping assembly increases. In some embodiments, the object may be a weight, an anchor, or a second gripping assembly.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for exercising that includes a gripping assembly having at least one spring member and a grip connected to a tether. The tether winds around the longitudinal axis of the at least one spring member. A free standing object may be connected to the tether. The free standing object has a mass selected to keep the at least one spring member coiled while no impulsive force is applied to the grip and to allow the at least one spring member to uncoil when an impulsive force of a predetermined value is applied to the grip.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides methods for exercising that utilize the above-described devices.

The above-recited example of features of the disclosure have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For detailed understanding of the present disclosure, references should be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings listed below:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an exercise device according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrates one use of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrates another use of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an exercise device that uses two spring members;

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of an exercise device that uses one spring member;

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of an exercise device uses a free standing object;

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of an exercise device that uses a torsion spring;

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of an exercise device that uses a spring element as a tether; and

FIG. 10 illustrates various modifications and variants that may be used in connection with embodiments of exercise devices according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of an exercise device 10 that may be used for aerobic and/or anaerobic exercises. As will be apparent from the discussion below, the exercise device 10 counteracts the motion of a user with a predetermined force. The predetermined force may be a constant force (e.g., torque or tension) or a variable force. The motion may be a repetitive movement of a bodily limb such as an arm, trunk, or leg. These exercises may be used to improve endurance, flexibility, strength, condition, etc. In some embodiments, the predetermined force enables the user to experience a relatively constant resistance to movement over the entire range of movement. That is, the force encountered at the beginning or end of a movement is substantially the same as that encountered during the middle of the movement. Additionally, embodiments of exercise devices 10 according to the present disclosure are compact, easy to manipulate, and cause minimal undesirable contact with the user.

Referring to FIG. 1, in one arrangement, the exercise device 10 includes two gripping assemblies 12. Each gripping assembly 12 includes two spring members 20 secured to a grip 30. The grip 30 may be a loop, bar, ring, handle, strap, or other structural element that is shaped and sized to be grasped or otherwise manipulated by a user. The grip 30 may be rigid or pliant. Opposing spring members 20 of each gripping assembly 12 are connected to one another by the tethers 40. The tethers 40 may be shaped as a ribbon, wire, cable, tape, string, cord or other non-rigid member than may be spooled and unspooled from an axle. Suitable materials for the tether 40 include, but are not limited to, pliable materials such as a plastic (e.g., nylon), cotton, twine, etc. Pulling the handles 30 apart unwinds the tether 40. As the tether 40 unwinds, the coil spring members 20 are activated; e.g., wind or unwind. When activated, the spring members apply a constant tension that resists the pulling action of the user.

Referring to FIG. 2, the spring members 20 may include a case or housing 21 that includes coil springs 22 wound around an axle 25. The coil spring 22 may be a pre-stressed flat strip of spring material (e.g., spring steel). The tether 40 is wound around the axle 25 such that unwinding the tether 40 causes the coil spring 22 to elastically deform (e.g., wind or unwind). That is, the tether 40 and the spring members 20 share a common longitudinal axis when coiling and uncoiling. Herein, the terms “spooling/unspooling” and “coiling/uncoiling” are used synonymously. The effective length of the tether 40 decreases during spooling and increases during unspooling. It should be noted that the tether 40 winds around the same longitudinal axis 31 that the spring members 20 are wound. Such an arrangement provides a compact configuration and allows the exercise device 10 to be used in cramped or otherwise space-restricted environments. A coil spring is only one illustrative spring that may be used to provide a predetermined force or torsion during use. Other suitable springs include torsion springs. Embodiments using the spring member 20 are discussed below.

As shown in FIG. 3A, in a relaxed state, the tether 40 is mostly wound on the axles 25 (FIG. 2) of the spring member 20. Thus, the exercise device is in an axially compact condition. As shown in FIG. 3B, when the spring members 20 are pulled apart, the tether 40 unwinds, but the coil springs 22 (FIG. 2) of each spring member 20 resist the pulling action with a tension applied to the tether 40. Beneficially, it should be noted that the tether 40 at portion 41 can remain stationary relative to the user's torso as the spring members 20 move apart. That is, because the tether 40 unwinds and spools out of the gripping assembly 12, it is not necessary for a middle portion 41 of the tether 40 to move in order for the tether 40 to extend linearly outward. Thus, a user who is next to the tether 40 will not suffer from being abraded by the spooling or unspooling action of the tether 40.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A and B, there is shown the use of the exercise device 10 that is used in conjunction with an optional free standing weight 50. In FIG. 4A, the user is shown holding the exercise device 10 stationary. When held stationary, the exercise device 10 is in a compact condition. It should be noted that the spring force of the spring member 20 is sufficiently strong to maintain the tether 40 wound on the axle 25 (FIG. 2) even though the mass of the weight 50 is acting on the tether 40. In one sense, the spring force of the spring member 20 counterbalances the gravitational force acting on the weight 50. In FIG. 4B, the user applies an upward impulse force to the upper grip 30. This upward impulse force unwinds the tether 40. Because the upper grip 30 is secured to the spring member 20, the upper grip 30 and the spring member 20 move as an integral unit. The weight 30 applies a constant static downward force due to gravity as discussed previously. The spring force is selected to allow the tether 40 to unwind when the grip 30 is impulsively pressed upward by the user. Thus, in one embodiment, the spring force or tension applied by the spring member 20 has an upper limit and a lower limit. The spring force is strong enough to maintain the tether 40 in a wound condition while in a static state but weak enough to allow the tether 40 to unwind while in a dynamic state. Generally, a high predetermined spring force is desirable when the user wishes to exercise with a high impulsive force and a low predetermined spring force is desirable when the user wishes to exercise with a low impulsive force.

It should be further appreciated that the exercise device 10 enables the user to practice controlled explosive movement. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the user may perform repetitive movements by applying an upward impulse force to the grip 30, but control the upward force to maintain the weight 50 in a mostly stationary position. As used throughout, the term impulse or impulse force refers to a change in linear momentum of a body. It may be defined as a product of the average force multiplied by the time over which the force is exerted.

It should be appreciated that exercise devices according to the present disclosure may be susceptible to numerous variations. Some non-limiting embodiments are discussed below.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the exercise device 10 also has two gripping assemblies 12. However, each gripping assembly 12 has one spring member 20. The spring members 20 are connected by a common tether 40. Each spring member 20 is secured to an associated grip 30. As discussed previously, the tether 40 can remain stationary relative to the user as the spring members 20 move apart because the tether 40 unwinds and spools out of the gripping assembly 12.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the exercise device 10 has one gripping assembly 12 that has one spring member 20 and a grip 30. The spring member 20 has a tether 40 that includes an secondary object, such as anchor 70. The anchor 70 may be attached to furniture, a door, or other structural feature. Because the grip 30 is fixed to the spring member 20, the tether 40 spools in and out of the gripping assembly. The secondary object may also be a second grip 30 or a second gripping assembly 12 (FIG. 1).

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the exercise device 10 has a grip 30 that is connected to a spring member 20 by a tether 40. The spring member 20 is secured to an object 72 that acts as a counterweight. Further, the object 72 is free standing. In this context, the term “free standing” means that the entire weight of the object 72 is supported at the grip 30 and none of the weight is supported by another structure such as a surface 74, which is physically separated from the object 72. Because the object 72 is secured to the spring member 20, the object 72 and the spring member 20 move as an integral unit. In a related embodiment, the grip 30 is connected to the spring member 20, which in turn is connected to the tether 40. The object 72 is connected to the tether 40. The weight of the object 70 and the spring force of the spring member 20 may be selected to be in a range that unspooling of the tether 40 only when a specified impulse force is applied to the grip 30. For instance, when the object 72 is free standing, the spring force of the spring member 20 is sufficiently high to keep the tether 40 coiled if the grip 30 is stationary relative to the user. However, the spring force is sufficiently low to allow the tether 40 to unspool if the user applied as specified impulse force (i.e., a specified force within a specified time period) to the grip 30.

It should be appreciated that the spring members may incorporate any known mechanism for applying a predetermined force to a tether. Further, certain structural features may be formed as integral devices. For instance, referring to FIG. 8, there is shown an exercise device 10 that has gripping assemblies 12 that enclose the grips 30 and thereby integrate the grip 30 with the spring member 20. The spring members 20 may be torsion springs 25 that are wound around and integrated into an axle 35 of the grip 30. As the tether 40 unwinds from the axle 35, the torsion spring 25 generates a resistive tension force. It should be noted that the tether 40 winds around the same axis 31 that the spring members 20 are wound, which provides a compact configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown another embodiment wherein structural features are combined. In FIG. 9, an exercise device 10 includes gripping assemblies 12 that have a spring member 20 that uses a coil spring 27. However, the coil spring 27 is used to connect the two spring members 20. Thus, the coil element of the coil spring 27 functions as the tether 40 shown in the other embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be appreciated that the teachings of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications. For instance, referring back to FIG. 5, the exercise device 10 may optionally include an adapter 90 positioned on the tether 40. The adapter 90 can have a single purpose or have multi-purposes. For example, the adapter 90 may be an additional grip. Such a variant may be useful for making the exercise device 10 even more compact or to vary resistance. The adapter 90 may also be an anchoring device that allows the tether to be fixed to a stationary object such as a sofa or table. In still other embodiments, the adaptor 90 may be a clip, strap, or harness that allows the tether 10 to be attached to an article of clothing or a body part. In yet other embodiments, the adapter 90 may be used to attach a moving object, such as a weight, to the tether 40.

Referring now to FIG. 10, there are shown still other variations and modifications that may be used in connection with the teachings of the present disclosure. One class of variants are directed to varying the resistance of the exercise device 10. In one arrangement, a variable resistance module 92 may be used to modulate the spring force of the spring members 20. For instance, the module 92 may include a spinning fan or paddles that are attached to the axle 25 (FIG. 2) The spring members 20 and the module 92 provide a resistance when the user pulls the grips 30 apart. The amount of fluid in the module 92 may be varied to vary the resistance provided by the module 92. Alternatively, the blade angles of the fan or paddles (not shown) can also be varied to change the resistance.

In another arrangement, a variable resistance module 94 may be used to apply a frictional force on the tethers 40. For example, the variable resistance module 94 may include pads or calipers on opposing sides of the tethers 40. The pads or calipers (not shown) may provide a frictional force that increases the resistance the user encounters when using the exercise device 10. The degree to which the pads or calipers (not shown) grip the tethers 40 can vary the amount of applied resistance.

In still other variants, the modules 92 and 94 may be configured to have a speed modulating function. That is, the modules 92 and 94 may allow the tethers 40 to wind and/or unwind within a predetermined speed. This may be used to minimize instances where the user pulls the grips 30 apart too quickly or instances where the grips 30 close quicker than desired.

Further modifications may include visual, audio, and/or tactile cues that assist the user during exercising. For instance, the tether 40 may include color coded regions 96 a-c. Region 96 b may be coded to signify a target range. Regions 96 a and 96 c maybe coded to signify a distance goal for physical therapy or other purpose. Thus, when the user sees only the region 96 b color (e.g., green), the user knows that the exercise device 10 is being used to the specifications prescribed by a medical professional or physical therapist. However, when the user sees either or both of regions 96 a and 96 c, then the user has an indication that the movement is excessive (e.g., the grips 30 are being pulled too far apart) or that the exercise movement is asymmetric.

In other embodiments, cues as to desirable movement can be provided by an audio signal. For instance, a bell or beeper may activate when the tether 40 has been unwrapped beyond a predetermined distance. Similarly, a device such as “rumble strips” or other surface treatments may be used to vibrate the tethers 40 if an undesirable amount of uncoiling is encountered.

In a different aspect, the variants and modifications of the present disclosure may be directed to integrating the exercise device 10 into a larger health and fitness management system. Such embodiments may include a processor 100, one or more sensors 102, a communication device 104, and a remote unit 106. Known devices such as batteries and wiring are not shown.

The processor 100 may include micro-processors, memory modules, and other peripherals for communicating with the sensor(s) 102 and communicating with the remote unit 106 by using the communication device 104. In some embodiments, the processor 100 may simply store data acquired during operation in the memory module. In other embodiments, the processor 100 may transmit the data periodically or in “real time” to the remote unit 106. It should be understood that these operating modes are merely illustrative and not limiting to the processor 100.

One or more sensors 102 may be configured to estimate, directly or indirectly, one or more parameters associated with the exercising activity. For example, the sensor 102 may be measure total number of rotations, rotational speed, speed, acceleration, time, pacing (e.g., stroke per unit time), distance the tether 40 is extended, etc. It should be understood that these parameters are illustrative and not limiting. In essence, the sensors 102 may be any sensor that provides information that the user, a health care professional, fitness instructor, or other individual may find useful in evaluating the user's movements during an exercising routine and the user's overall health. For example, the information provided by the sensors may be used to estimate endurance, dexterity, muscle explosiveness, range of movement, coordination, agility, etc.

The communication device 104 may be any component that allows the transmission of data between the processor 100 and the remote unit 106. The data transmission may be uni-directional or bi-directional. Illustrative, but not exclusive wireless data transmission components, include wireless devices, (e.g., “wi fi”), RF transmitters, BLUETOOTH″ devices, etc. In other embodiments, the communication device 104 may be a wired system that communicates through known plugs such as USP ports and cables.

The remote device 106 may be any device that is configured to receive information from the processor 100 and present that information, either in a processed or unprocessed form. In some arrangements, the remote device may be a mobile phone that includes an ‘app’ that enables the mobile phone to communicate with the processor 100. This may be useful in situations where a local individual, such as the user or fitness instructor, wishes to personally monitor progress either during an exercise or over a period of time. In other arrangements, the remote device may be a computer located at a remote location such as a health care facility. This arrangement may be useful in situations where a health care professional wishes to remotely monitor and evaluate the health of the user.

As used above, the term “secured to” or “fixed to” refers to a connection that prevents relative movement between two features. The term “connected to” refers to a connection that only limits relative movement between two features. For example, in FIG. 5, the grips 30 and the spring members 20 are secured to one another. Thus, there is no relative movement between these two features. The tether 40 connects the two spring members 20. Thus, the two spring members 20 have some relative freedom of movement. Additionally, several embodiments have been having described as having a specific number of features (e.g., one spring). It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Thus, for instance, various embodiments may have two or more springs, which may be arranged in parallel, in a serial fashion, or any other configuration.

The foregoing description is directed to particular embodiments of the present disclosure for the purpose of illustration and explanation. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that many modifications and changes to the embodiment set forth above are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such modifications and changes. 

1. An apparatus for exercising, comprising: a gripping assembly including: at least one spring member, and a grip fixed to the at least one spring member; and at least one tether connected to the at least one spring member, wherein the tether winds around the longitudinal axis of the at least one spring member; and an object connected to the tether, the tether being configured to unspool out of the gripping assembly as the distance separating the object and the gripping assembly increases.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object is a second gripping assembly that includes at least one spring member and a grip fixed to the at least one spring member.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one spring member of the gripping assembly includes two spring members, wherein the at least one spring member of the second gripping assembly includes two spring members, and wherein the at least one tether includes at least two tethers, each of which connects at least one of the two spring members of the gripping assembly to at least one of the two spring members of the second gripping assembly.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the grip of the gripping assembly connects the two spring members of the gripping assembly, and wherein the grip of the second gripping assembly connects the two spring members of the second gripping assembly,
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the grip of the gripping assembly encloses the at least one spring member of the gripping assembly, and wherein the grip of the second gripping assembly encloses the at least one spring member of the second gripping assembly.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one spring of the gripping assembly and the second gripping assembly is a torsion spring wound around an axle.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object is a free standing object that has a mass selected to keep the at least one spring member coiled while no impulsive force is applied to the grip and to allow the at least one spring member to uncoil when an impulsive force of a predetermined value is applied to the grip.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor configured to estimate a parameter of interest representative of a response at least one of (i) the spring member to a force applied by a user, and (ii) the tether to the force applied by the user.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor estimates one of: (i) a linear distance, (ii) a rotational distance, (iii) linear speed, (iii) rotational speed, (iv) acceleration, (v) a number of a repeated movement.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a communication device in signal communication with the at least one sensor, the communication device configured to transmit information received from the at least one sensor to a remote unit.
 11. An apparatus for exercising, comprising: a gripping assembly including: a tether, at least one spring member connected to the tether, and a grip connected to the tether, wherein the tether winds around the longitudinal axis of the at least one spring member; and an free standing object connected to the tether, wherein the free standing object that has a mass selected to keep the at least one spring member coiled while no impulsive force is applied to the grip and to allow the at least one spring member to uncoil when an impulsive force of a predetermined value is applied to the grip.
 12. An apparatus for exercising, comprising: a first gripping assembly including: a first and a second spring member, and a grip connecting the first spring member to the second spring member; a second gripping assembly including: a first and a second spring member, and a grip connecting the first spring member to the second spring member; and a first tether connecting the first spring member of the first gripping assembly with the first spring member of the second gripping assembly; and a second tether connecting the second spring member of the first gripping assembly with the second spring member of the second gripping assembly.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the spring members cooperate to apply a substantially constant resistive force to the tethers as the tethers unwind.
 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the spring members are coil springs.
 15. A method for exercising, comprising: applying a force to a gripping assembly, the gripping assembly including: at least one spring member, and a grip fixed to the at least one spring member; and at least one tether connected to the at least one spring member, wherein the tether winds around the longitudinal axis of the at least one spring member; and an object connected to the tether, wherein the applied force unspools the tether and increases a distance separating the object and the gripping assembly. 